Lord Dangars, may I trespass upon your good nature so far as to beg your escort home? Poor Irene is naturally much distressed. LORD DANGARS. [_Looking from DUNSTAN to LESLIE._] This is perhaps not the time to express regrets---- MRS. STONEHAY. Regrets! Regrets that the character of an honourable man is cleared from a gross and vindictive slander! It is not from _us_ that regrets should come. I am ready. IRENE. [_Weeping._] Leslie--Leslie! [_She takes LESLIE’S hand and kisses it. LESLIE stands, with staring eyes, immovable._] MRS. STONEHAY. Irene, give your arm to Lord Dangars. [_IRENE gives her arm helplessly to DANGARS. MRS. STONEHAY shrugs her shoulders and goes out, followed by DANGARS with IRENE._] DUNSTAN RENSHAW. [_In a hollow, changed voice._] Leslie--Leslie! [_He staggers towards her._] You hate me--you hate me. [_He looks into her face._] How you hate me! LESLIE. [_Speaking with great effort._] Deny it--deny it. DUNSTAN RENSHAW. Deny it! LESLIE. Deny it. DUNSTAN RENSHAW. I--I--Ah, God! I’m guilty! I’m guilty! I’m guilty! Don’t ask me to tell you the story of my life--I can’t--I can’t. It’s one of sin--all sin. Till I met you--till I met you. Can you hear me? [_She nods her head twice, still with the wild dazed look in her face._] DUNSTAN RENSHAW. Then everything altered. I love you--I love you! In all the world there is nothing for me but you--you make my day or my night by the opening or the closing of your eyes. There is nothing for me but you! I worship you! [_The man is heard again singing to the mandolin. LESLIE shudders and tries to go._] DUNSTAN RENSHAW. Don’t leave me! You won’t leave me! I can’t live away from you. Have mercy on me! Have mercy on me! Mercy! [_He kneels to her._] I repent! Help me to begin a new life! I’m young; I won’t die till I’ve made amends. I won’t die till I’ve done some good act to make you proud of me! Oh, give me hope! LESLIE. [_As if in a dream._] Deny it! DUNSTAN RENSHAW. I’m guilty--you know it! Have mercy! Give me a faint hope! A year hence you’ll pardon me? Two years--ten? A little hope--only a little hope! LESLIE. Deny it. DUNSTAN RENSHAW. I can’t deny it! LESLIE. Go! [_After a moment he goes quietly away, then she falls to the ground in a swoon. The voice of the singer rises in the distance._] END OF THE THIRD ACT. THE FOURTH ACT. THE BEGINNING OF A NEW LIFE. _The scene is HUGH MURRAY’S private sitting-room in an old-fashioned Holborn hotel, comfortably and solidly furnished, but with an antiquated look about the place. It is evening, the lamps are lighted and the fire is burning. HUGH is playing a plaintive melody upon the piano, and watching LESLIE, who sits with a listless air._ LESLIE. Mr. Murray. HUGH MURRAY. Yes? LESLIE. Wilfrid is very late. HUGH MURRAY. He will be back soon. LESLIE.